1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick ice-making control method of an ice-maker for a refrigerator, and more particularly to a quick ice-making control method of an ice-maker for a refrigerator, in which water supplied to be made into ice cubes is stirred with an ejector for exhausting the ice cubes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, refrigerators maintain a freezing chamber or a refrigerating chamber at a low temperature by means of a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerant.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional refrigerator.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional refrigerator comprises a barrier 1 for dividing the inside of the refrigerator into a freezing chamber (F) and a refrigerating chamber (R), a main body 2 provided with a refrigerating cycle device for maintaining the freezing chamber (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R) at a low temperature, a freezing chamber door 4 rotatably connected to the main body 2 for opening and closing the freezing chamber (F), and a refrigerating chamber door 6 rotatably connected to the main body 2 for opening and closing the refrigerating chamber (R).
The refrigerating cycle device includes a compressor for compressing a refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state to a high-pressure state, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant in the high-pressure state compressed by the compressor by emitting heat to outdoor air, an expansion unit for decompressing the refrigerant condensed by the condenser, and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant expanded by the expansion unit by absorbing heat from the freezing chamber (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R).
Recently, an automatic ice-making device for making ice cubes from water by means of cool air in the freezing chamber (F) and then for exhausting the ice cubes is installed in the refrigerator.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conventional refrigerator, in which a freezing chamber door and a refrigerating chamber door are opened.
As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic ice-making device includes an ice-maker 12 installed at an upper portion of the inside of the freezing chamber (F) for freezing water supplied thereto by means of cool air in the freezing chamber (F), an ice bank 14 installed in the freezing chamber (F) for containing ice cubes made by the ice-maker 12, a dispenser 16 installed at the freezing chamber door 4 for exhausting the ice cubes without opening the freezing chamber door 4, and an ice chute 18 for guiding the ice cubes contained in the ice bank 14 to drop to the dispenser 16.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ice-maker for the conventional refrigerator. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the ice-maker for the conventional refrigerator. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating control for the ice-maker of the conventional refrigerator.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the ice-maker 12 includes a cup 21 for containing water supplied through a water supply hose (not shown) so as to supply the water, an ice-maker mold 22 for containing the water supplied from the cup 21 and freezing the water by means of cool air in the freezing chamber, a heater 23 installed at the ice-maker mold 22 for heating the ice-maker mold 22 so as to separate ice cubes from the ice-maker mold 22 when the ice cubes are exhausted, an ejector 24 rotatably arranged on an upper portion of the ice-maker mold 22 for drawing up the ice cubes, a motor 25 for generating driving force for rotating the ejector 24, a slider 26 for guiding the ice cubes drawn up by the ejector 24 into the ice bank 14, a full ice level sensing lever 27 for sensing a full ice level of the ice bank 14, and an ice-making controller 28 for controlling the heater 23 and the motor 25 according to the temperature of the ice-maker mold 22 and whether or not the ice bank 70 is at a full ice level and for controlling a water supply valve 21a for intermitting the water supplied into the cup 21.
An ice making space for allowing the water to be frozen is formed in the ice-maker mold 22, and a plurality of partition plates 22a for dividing the ice making space are provided in the ice making space so that a plurality of ice cubes are divisionally made.
Further, a connection part 22b fixed to a rear surface of the upper portion of the freezing chamber (F) is formed at the ice-maker mold 22.
The heater 23 is arranged on the bottom of the ice-maker mold 22.
The ejector 24 includes a rotary shaft 24a positioned at the upper portion of the ice making space and geared with the motor 25, and a plurality of pins 24b installed at the side wall of the shaft 24a and prepared in the same number as that of the units of the ice making space divided by the partition plates 22a. 
The motor 25 is installed in the ice-making controller 28.
The ice-making controller 28 includes a temperature sensor 29a for sensing the temperature of the ice-maker mold 22, and a full ice level sensor 29b for detecting a rotating position of the full ice level sensing lever 22 and thus determining whether the ice bank 70 is at the full ice level.
Hereinafter, a control method of the above-described ice-maker will be described.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the control method of the ice-maker for the conventional refrigerator.
As shown in FIG. 6, when power is inputted to the refrigerator, the ice-making controller 28 controls the motor 25 to set the ejector 24 to an initial position (A) (S1).
The ice-making controller 28 switches on the water supply valve 21a for a designated time and then switches off the water supply valve 21a, thereby allowing water, supplied from the outside during the time taken to switch on the water supply valve 21a, to be contained in the cup 21 and then to be transferred into the ice-maker mold 22 (S2).
Thereafter, the water contained in the ice-maker mold 22 is heat-exchanged with cool air in the freezing chamber (F) or the ice-maker mold 22, thereby being cooled and gradually frozen from at a portion thereof contacting the cool air or the ice-maker mold 22.
In case that the temperature of the ice-maker mold 22 sensed by the temperature sensor 29a is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, −7° C.), the ice-making controller 28 determines that the ice-making is completed, and allows the heater 31 to be switched on for a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes) and then to be switched off (S3 and S4).
By the switching-on of the heater, the temperature of the ice-maker mold 22 is raised, and the made ice cubes are melted at a portion thereof contacting the ice-maker mold 22 and are then separated from the ice-maker mold 22.
Thereafter, the ice-making controller 28 controls the motor 25 to rotate the ejector 24 from the initial position (A) to an ice-separating position (B), and then to return the ejector 24 to the initial position (A) (S5).
The ice cubes positioned in the ice-maker mold 22 are drawn up by the rotation of the ejector 24, and are dropped down to the slider 26. Then, the ice cubes are guided by the slider 26, and are transferred to the ice bank 14.
The ice-making controller 28 determines whether or not the ice bank 14 is at the full ice level by means of the sensing of the full ice level sensor 29b through the rotation of the full ice level sensing lever 22.
In case that it is determined that the ice bank 14 is not at the full ice level, the ice-making controller 28 controls the components to repeat the water supply, the ice-making, the heating, the ice separation, and the sensing of the full ice level, and in case that it is determined that the ice bank 14 is at the full ice level, the ice-making controller 28 stops the above series of steps, i.e., the water supply, the ice-making, the heating, the ice separation, and the sensing of the full ice level (S6).
Since the water supplied to the ice-maker mold 22 is cooled only by natural convection with the cool air in the freezing chamber (F) and the thermal conduction of the ice-maker mold 22, the above-described conventional ice-making control method of the ice-maker for the refrigerator is disadvantageous in that a time taken to make ice from the water is elongated.